Kakashi fell back onto the grass and just watched the stars. "Well, team Seven, you did well today," he said to Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke. He smiled at them, all of them laying on the grass looking up as well.
"Yeah, we did," Naruto replied. He looked at the others, a smile on his face as well. It had been four years since they became a team and nothing could be better. Naruto as a jonin and Sakura and Sasuke were Chunin as well. The Old Man had announced that he would be the next Hokage only a few weeks ago. And they just completed another mission perfectly. Life was good. "Hey, Sakura-chan, how about dinner when we get back to Konoha."
"Sorry, Naruto, not going to happen."
He chuckled, "Ah, so life isn't perfect. Oh well." He looked to the stars once more. "...Kakashi-sensei, what's that?" He pointed to a moving star.
Warning: Program Corrupted.
"I don't know, Naruto." It fell closer to the ground until they could see the fire coming off it. Then, all at once the fire faded away, it revealed this giant cube. "What on earth?" There were some flashes of light as a dozen beings appeared. They looked like pale skin humans combined with machines.
They looked at them and said, "We are the Borg, you will be assimilated, resistance is futile." Sasuke threw a fire jutsu at the first. It was destroyed but they started forward. Sasuke fired another but this green energy barrier blocked it.
"They have adapted," Naruto said, a sword suddenly in his hand. Wait, how did he know that? He looked around and saw Konoha in ruins. Around him, ninja were trying new jutsu to take down the Borg drones. He looked to the right and saw Inuzuka Kiba coming towards him. He didn't hesitate in taking his head off. Most others had tried using jutsu but each one was only good three or four shots before they adapted to block them. He looked to the right, hearing another drone coming. He turned to take its head off... "Sakura." He froze, he couldn't help it, he had seen several get assimilated by this and swore it wouldn't happen to him but here he was, frozen.
Resetting program.
His vision was covered in static an instant before she stabbed that thing into his neck. He was on the hill, no longer even remembering the battle. Sasuke was there, his team fine, life was good.
—oo000oo—
The Borg Queen looked at the containment cell. It was the cell of the most odd drone the Borg had ever assimilated. The drone couldn't be deactivated, nor could it be rid of its individuality. For the safety of the collective, it was removed from the hive and kept away in a fantasy feedback loop. Most peculiar was the drone's ability to regenerate without a regeneration node. She looked away, returning to her task. The drone had come from a planet filled with humanoids with the ability to harness energy from themselves and their surroundings to fight. They had fought hard, relying on non-energy weapons and their jutsu, they had nearly drove them off but for the assimilation of their non-ninja and the arrival of another cube. Sadly, no other species found so far could use their 'chakra' and aside from the drone, none of the others stayed in prime condition to utilize that ability as it required optimal conditions to do it. Yet, all the borg knew the jutsu, all the jutsu there was. It had been carefully and diligently documented and filed. If ever they could recover the use of it, not even the Federation of Planets could stop them. Especially when their mission was completed. She looked at the monitor filled with the planet Earth. Had she still been capable of it, she would have found the sight beautiful, moving even. Yet, she wasn't. The monitor changed to show the Federation Starships attacking her ship. "Resistance is futile," she said.
—oo000oo—
She watched as the photon torpedoes flew pass the Pheonix. "DATA!"
"Resistence is futile," Data said before smashing the glass that held the corrosive gas in check. Picard jumped up and pulled himself up a cable, avoiding the gas and watched as the drones around him all broke down and were destroyed. When the gas cleared, he dropped down. "Well done, commander Data."
"Thank you sir. Though, there was a time when I was tempted by her offer."
Jean looked to him, "For how long?"
"Point zero one five seconds. To an android, that is an eternity." They looked up to a closed off portion of the room where it looked like guards had been posted. Banging was coming from inside.
—oo000oo—
Warning! Warning! Containment Protocols failing! Borg Drone Eleven of Nineteen reactivating! Attempting to reestablish connection! A hand hit the speaking, causing it to break.
Naruto was looking at the stone, so many new names on it. All to stop Sasuke and Madara. It wasn't right.
"RAAGH!" Naruto screamed, it being ripped from his throat at he was forced to remember.
He looked up and headed to see Baa-chan, she was still weak after Pein. While he was talking to her, the radio stopped playing music. These beeps came through before a voice clearly said, "We are the Borg, you will be assimilated, resistance is futile."
The memories of fighting them flashed through until a week in fighting them.
Naruto watched in rage as one assimilated Kakashi. He quickly moved in, cut its head off, and looked to Kakashi to see if he could be saved. The disk on his cheek was already there and he was getting up. Naruto tried to take his head off but he jumped out of the way, going through the handsigns of a jutsu. The water dragon rose from the river and hit the ninja, stunning them. They never expected they could use jutsu as well.
The memories skipped forward more.
Naruto looked around the ruined village of Konoha and saw Inuzuka Kiba, a drone for a month now. He hadn't detected him yet and he wouldn't let him do it either. Quickly, he took his head off. Hearing another drone running, he turned to attack. And froze. "Sakura!" He thought her dead and ran to her. "Sakura-chan, I..." She grabbed him and slammed him to the ground. He had seen the tell tale disk on her cheek but he had ignored it, refusing to believe she was gone. And now, he would pay the price. She pressed her hand to his neck and he felt a stabbing pain as the controlling device was injected. Naruto screamed in pain as the Kyuubi fought it. Some time later, he was on a Borg cube, being examined. Though the control implants were in place and working properly, it couldn't control him. He was screaming in pain and thrashing, just wishing he would die. His head was held down before a drill was placed over his eye. "No. No, no, no, NO!"
"Make them stop," Naruto begged. "Please! Make them stop! I don't want to remember, have mercy, please!" He slammed his hands against the door of his cell, breaking his restraints. "PLEASE!" He pounded on it until the door came down and he collapsed. Looking around, he saw them dead, all of them. Reconnected to the remains of the collective again, it flash downloaded everything into his mind. He remembered how all those that were from Konoha and his planet died. Some in combat against the Federation, others in a ship to ship battle. All he knew for certain though was he was truly and irrevocably alone. Two Federation officers, Locutus and Data, came up to him, phasers at the ready to kill him but stared as he laid there, crying. "Kill me, please! Oh god, just kill me!"
—oo000oo—
Jean Luc Picard looked at an image the restrained drone, it was unlike any he had ever seen before. The skin looked fresh and healthy, he even had bright blond hair and a blue eye so deep, it was like the ocean. More over, he showed emotion, far pass even what Hugh was capable of. Emotions like pain, regret, sadness, and so many other things all confirming that it really wanted them to kill him. "Councilor?"
Dianna Troi shook her head slowly, completely overwhelmed. "I sense much pain in him. I believe he could never be fully assimilated nor shutdown, so they contained him. It must have been years that he was put there. Also, to control him, they put his mind in a...state of ease. I think they created the illusion that he was still on his home world and brainwashed him into believing that was real. I believe he grasped onto it, to hide from the memories of what happened to him."
Jean Luc leaned back in his chair. "Doctor, what have you discovered?"
"Genetically, his species evolved closely along the lines that humans did. He may even have been from one of the planets documented in a few of Captain Kirk's missions where humans, when we were still a young race, were placed on another planet to study and such. I have found a half a percent difference likely caused by planetary adaptation. But there is this energy coming from his cells that is jamming the Borg implants. This energy is also the cause of his natural regeneration."
"Commander Data?"
"When he is sedated enough to stop begging for death, he seems capable of intelligent conversations. He is though very withdrawn and wants little to no conversation."
Jean looked at his senior officers. "Suggestions?"
"We could study him, maybe find out why he resisted and turn it into a weapon against the Borg," Commander Riker stated.
"Commander," Data spoke up. "Such studies will likely kill him, destroying all the information he may possess against the Borg. I think it would be a far better idea to have him join Star Fleet, like Seven of Nine aboard the U.S.S Voyager."
"Agreed," Picard stated. "Councilor?"
"...It will be hard but beneath the pain I feel from him, I sense a curious mind, one that doesn't truly want to die. If we can reach him through the pain, he will return to who he is."
"The Borg are dangerous, Councilor," Warf replied. "To let one live is to ask for the Borg to come following him."
"He hates the Borg, Warf," she told him. "It is the most intense hatred I have ever felt. He will leave the Borg willingly, though afterwards, I don't know. Captain, I say we help this boy."
Riker nodded in agreement. "The question is, how do we reach him?"
Picard took a deep breath. "I will talk to him. Commander Warf, Data, you will accompany me, you too Councilor."
"Yes Captain," they said as they all stood up and left.
—oo000oo—
Naruto hung against his restraints, tired. They kept him constantly drugged to sap his strength. When the door opened, he looked up at Locutus, Data, and a Klingon... Warf, and a woman. "...Kill me already."
"I am Captain Picard of the Starship Enterprise. I would like to talk to you."
Naruto lunged forward to the end of his restraints, coming short of the forcefield that separated them. "No more talking! Kill me, stop the pain, please! I beg you! I'd do it myself if only I could!"
"Let us help you. It can be done."
Naruto growled before his face fell impassive. He straightened and focused on them. "We are the Borg. Locutus, you will be assimilated."
Warf reached for his phaser when the woman stopped him. "He's lying," she told them. "He wants us to kill him."
Naruto focused on her, as if analyzing her. "...Councilor Troi. You will be assimilated. Home planet, Betazed. Sentient life forms...Betazoids, emphatic humanoids. They will be assimilated."
Warf looked to her, "Are you sure? If so, he is awful convincing."
Troi stepped forward and looked Naruto in the eye. "...He is. He isn't connected to a Hive, nor is he emotionless. We want to help you, let us, please."
Naruto leaned forward a little. "Release us and you will be."
"What is your name," Picard said, speaking up.
Naruto looked to him and said, "We are Eleven of Nineteen."
"No, your real name."
Naruto swallowed, "Uzumaki Naruto. Born seventeen years ago on planet Terra in the Echo quadrant. Assimilated and designated Eleven of Nineteen two years ago. My people and I were all assimilated and we went on to fight on and assimilate three other worlds. Kill me and we can finally pay for our crimes. I am the last. Locutus, you know what its like, have mercy. Don't make me some experiment or lab rat."
"I do know," Picard told him. "...You won't become either of those, I swear to you. But how would you like a chance to earn your forgiveness in another way?"
"Can't be done. I am Borg."
"That matters little," Troi told him. "There is an officer Seven of Nine in Star Fleet. She is much like you, though she doesn't have emotions."
"Good for her," Naruto stated.
"How would you like a chance to restore your honor against the Borg," Warf said.
Naruto straightened, his eye wide. "Get me out of this thing and point me at them," Naruto agreed.
Data, Picard, and Troi looked at him, surprised. "I could sense his warrior spirit," Warf told them.
—oo000oo—
Naruto looked in a mirror, at his eyes, pulling down the lid that covered the new one. He looked hard but couldn't tell the difference from the real thing. They had tried to remove many of the implants but had found that the Borg went through a considerable amount of trouble to try and control him before locking him away. Much of his bone structure was metal now, they even had to remove a chip from his brain that had fried out upon activation. Around his body, you could find metal such as his knuckles and the top of his fingers. The disk was there still and couldn't be removed, but much of his body was still original. "So, what do you want from me," Naruto said, turning from the mirror in the medical bay to doctor Crusher and Locutus. "To download all the information inside my head?"
"No, doing that will kill you," Picard stated. "We want to help you, Naruto."
He raised his right hand, revealing the metal to them again. "Look at me? How can I be helped?"
"It can be done," Crusher told him. "It may be hard but it will get easier."
"For what purpose? Everything and everyone I knew is dead!"
Picard took a deep breath. "Naruto, you propose a unique opportunity for the Federation. To find one of the Borg that is willing to help us, that is connected to the collective but not controlled by it. The emotions of humans, the logical of a machine. I think you could actually become a Star Fleet officer."
"So I can fight your wars?" He turned back to the mirror.
"Actually, I was thinking so you could explore new worlds." Naruto looked at him. "The Enterprise's mission, since the very first, has always been one of exploration." Naruto tilted his head, interested. "You know what this ship is for, don't you?"
Naruto blinked before opening his mouth and saying in the voice of Captain Archer, the captain of the Enterprise NX-01, the speech he gave at the signing of the Coalition of Planets. "Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. It's continuing mission, to explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before."
All those in the room blinked and stared at him as he finished. "...Where did that come from," Riker asked.
Naruto blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "The Borg were downloading the memory banks of the ship's computers. Roughly seventy-two percent was and I am the sole benefactor of that. I'm actually kind of interested in finishing the download. The Borg kept me in the dark up until the end and I never knew there was so many fascinating worlds out there."
"So you can recall all the data on the computer?"
"Like I said, most of it, but yeah."
Picard chuckled, a strange thing coming from that man. "I guess then that you wouldn't mind traveling the stars then?"
He looked at him and said, "...No, I wouldn't, the best part of my life before...this, was when I was traveling with my sensei around the continent. Seeing different things and cultures, it was a dream come true. But Captain, look at me. I keep telling you to but you don't. What do you want me to do? Go to the Academy? Become an engineer or an officer? Can you honestly say that I will be treated fair there?"
"For sure, no, but the Federation of Planets thrives on different cultures. Naruto, I dare say that you are from the most unique culture ever, given what you are. Those planets may be gone but everything about them and your own lives on in you, don't they?"
Naruto looked away, seeing things the other drones did in his mind's eye. "...As only celluloid can deliver." They were confused by the term. "An ancient human term from the twentieth century meaning the highest clarity available."
"Will you consider it?"
Naruto turned to the mirror again, staring at the monster he had become. "I will think about it, Locutus. No promises. But, for the sakes of arguing, what if I say 'no'? What if I don't want to join star fleet or even help it? What becomes of me then?"
"Then I would say that you would be free to do whatever you want."
Naruto was careful to keep his disbelief off his face. "...We shall see, Locutus. There is much to consider."
—oo000oo—
Captain Picard was in his ready room, looking at a communicator to Star Fleet Command. "So, he hasn't answered yes or no?"
"Correct, Admiral. He doesn't believe he won't be used just as a weapon once he leaves this ship. And in all truth, I can't look him in the eyes and say that there won't be people that will want to take advantage of him. Admiral Pressman is an example of just how far people are willing to bend the rules."
"True, but captain, can we afford to let this chance slip away?"
"Can we afford not to, Admiral? Right now, this boy means everything the Federation stands for. If we force him to do this, how are we any different from races like the Romulans or the Cardassians? Let him choose."
The Admiral let out a sigh. "Very well, Captain. I accept your proposal."
"What proposal?"
"The one where you take him on your ship once he graduates the Academy."
"But I never..."
"Captain, you are one of the finest officers in Star Fleet, I know you won't abuse him, and with Lt. Commander Warf and Data there, I know he will be treated fair by your crew."
Jean luc sighed. "Very well, Admiral, I will."
"Thank you, Picard. Now, you just need to convince him."
"I will try, Admiral. Have a good day." The comm went black and he pressed his Badge Comm. "Number One, where is Naruto now?"
"Outside your ready room, sir," Riker replied.
"What is he doing there?"
"He said he had his answer but will only tell you."
"...Send him in." A few second later, Naruto walked in, wearing orange civilian clothes. "Sit down, Naruto."
"Thank you, Locutus." Naruto sat and drummed his fingers on the arm of the chair. "I came here intending to tell you no in the most rude manner I know. And trust me, even before becoming Borg, I knew a lot."
Picard frowned. "Well, I didn't think you were a person that was tactful."
"I'm not, actually, I've had the leader of my village reprimand me several times for it back when he was alive. But as I stood out there, waiting, I heard you talking, defending my right to say no. Locutus, even when I was human, I was never defended by anyone. I was different and no one wanted me near."
"It was probably that difference that saved your life, Naruto. I think despite the pain, this was a good thing."
"I too am grateful for it now. Locutus, if you will have me on your ship, then I will join Star Fleet as an officer cadet."
Picard smiled kindly at him. "I would welcome you aboard." He held out his hand and they shook.
—oo000oo—
Naruto looked around the Academy, grimacing. "Can I help you," one of the older students said to him.
"Yes, Uzumaki Naruto, reporting for officer training course."
"The Headmaster's office is in that building. He will see to you. Good luck."
"Always made my own luck," Naruto said before walking forward. He had nothing but the clothes on his back and a headband he made in a replicator. He walked into the office and looked to the secretary. "Excuse ma'am, I'm Uzumaki Naruto, here to speak with the Headmaster."
"He is busy right..." She looked up at him then and screamed. "Borg! There's a Borg in the office!" Naruto just sighed as people turned to look at him and similarly ran screaming or pointed phasers at him.
He raised his arms in the air. "Would you believe I come in peace?"
"Put those down, put those bloody weapons down," a large man shouted, running from the office in back. "Uzumaki Naruto?"
"I am."
"Captain Montgomery Scott. Captain Picard sent word you were coming lad."
Naruto smiled. "I guess it is a good thing I didn't go and leave a flash/bang on the bridge."
"Aye, he did tell me you were something of a hell-raiser. I said lower those blasted weapons! This is a student!" Glaring one last time at the guards as they finally did what he said, "I assume you know who I am?"
"Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott, Chief Engineer of the NC-1701, 'No bloody A, B, C, or D,' Enterprise under Captain James T. Kirk. Most notable quote, 'I canna change the laws of physics'. Served..."
"Aye, you know. No need to go into Vulcan detail. Picard asked ah big favor I do this for ye lad, to make sure ye get the fair treatment. So, here I am, now, Miss. Olson, stop screaming and get him his room assignment. I want a proficiency test on everything, engineering, navigation, everything, ready for him in an hour."
"Y-Yes, sir."
"Thank you, Captain."
"Call me Scotty, lad."
—oo000oo—
Scotty watched Naruto sit down at a desk and look at the test in front of him. He knew how this would go, the same way with Lt. Commander Data when he went through. Perfect. He was right, Naruto finished the test in only a few minutes. "Congratulations, lad, perfect score. You know engineering almost as well as I do."
"Thanks, Scotty. I won't lie, I did have a little help."
"Aye, that bio-computer you have for a brain. I'll pull some strings lad, get you here only for the troop leading training. It'll take a year instead of the full four."
"Thanks."
—oo000oo—
Naruto was settling down that evening when his roommate finally got there. He took one look at Naruto's face and fainted. "It's going to be a long year."
—oo000oo—
Naruto was laying down on his bed, reading an ancient comic book called a 'manga', the title was Warcraft, the Sunwell Trilogy. He found the whole idea intriguing. He suddenly lowered the book to find his roommate adverting his eyes from staring at him. "...Okay, that's it. Now listen up, I'm tired of this, I can't take the seriousness here. I feel as if you're going to take me out in the woods and whack me."
"Whack you?"
"You know, whack. Remember that classic mob movie they were showing last week?"
"I didn't watch it, I was studying."
"You could have asked for help. I'm not going to assimilate you or anything." He raised his book again. "The only one who is going to suffer from you being uncomfortable is you, not me. See how much I care if you stay up all night afraid to go to sleep. Which, by the way, is why you are failing two classes."
"So, you're saying I should trust you?"
"I'm not saying you should or shouldn't, because no matter what, you don't. I'm saying, I don't give a damn." From then on, the only sound was him was turning a page.
"...How do I solve this equation?"
"Let me see." Naruto set down the book and looked at his homework. "Here, I'll explain it out." Naruto began writing the simplified process out. It turned out that he really needed help, and sleep for that matter, because Naruto kept on tutoring him until he fell asleep.
His roommate woke up the next morning, once again finding Naruto on his bed, leaning against the wall, reading. "When did I fall asleep?"
"Eleven at night."
He checked himself over, amazed that he was in fact fine. "...Thank you."
He looked over his book at him. "You're welcome. I went over your homework, made notes where you got the answer wrong. Try to correct them before class."
He looked at it and saw what he meant. "...You're name, it's Naruto, right?"
"It is."
"I'm Kyle Bond."
"Bond?" He lowered the cover of his book. "Like..."
"James Bond, yes."
"Sorry, it was unexpected. Well, Kyle, a pleasure to finally speak to you. You better fix those, time is running out."
He sat down at his desk and started correcting it. "...May I ask how it happened?"
"You can ask all you want."
"Well?"
Naruto sighed, "They attacked my homeworld, I had this unique thing about me that they couldn't assimilate fully. So they locked me up to study. Captain Picard saved me, you could say. I wanted to say no to this at first, thinking everyone would react like you."
"And have they?"
"Just about. Its always suspicion, accusations, yadda yadda. No one here wants a Borg in Star Fleet, even with one already in it."
"There is?"
"Her name is Seven of Nine, serving under Captain Janeway." Naruto turned the page. "She was disconnected to her hive by the captain."
"I never knew."
"Eh, most don't. Don't care or want to know either. Better to think Borg are emotionless, collective bastard, seen one seen them all. That way, you don't feel anything for killing one if you have to."
"Do you feel anything?"
"I feel everything."
"Even love?" Naruto laughed. "What's so funny about love?"
"What's funny is that I've never knew it in the first place. Never had a parent, never had someone to take care of me, I know hatred, unconcern, many things, but not that."
"Do you think maybe..."
"Maybe I will someday? Hah, who knows. Maybe I will. Maybe the girl of my dreams is about to cross my path the moment I walk out this room. Unlikely. The girl I will meet will look at me then away from me in barely admitted tolerance." He got up, walked out the door, looked around the hallway, and said, "I don't see her." He walked back in and put his book away. "See ya." Turning on his heel, he walked out and left.
—oo000oo—
Naruto flew through the handsigns until he called out "Suiryūdan no Jutsu !" The water around him formed a dragon. It rose up into the air, twisting around him, snarling. He hadn't summoned it to fight, he did to learn control. In a slithering motion, it moved away from the water and over land, forming rear legs and disconnecting from the lake. Naruto began to sweat with the concentration needed, he felt so out of practice. The dragon roared before falling apart. Naruto panted a few moments before trying again.
"Well now, isn't that something, lad," Scotty said, walking up to him.
Naruto glanced at him, frowning. "I'm really out of practice if I didn't hear you coming. Good morning Scotty."
"Good morning. How did you do that?"
"That was the reason my people were able to resist the Borg for so long. We used a special energy called chakra to control the elements around us. That was the...Water Dragon Bullet technique in english." He bent down, cupped some water in his hands, and splashed his face with it.
"It also have something to do with you walking on water I suppose."
"Yeah. This is a chakra control exercise meant to learn how to control the flow of chakra."
"...Tell me lad, you a fighter?"
"Yeah."
"You know there are training programs in the holodeck that allow you to fight."
"I know, beat all the pre-programmed ones already. Working on new ones right now." He grinned as he saw the confused look on his face. "Behind you, Scotty." He turned around and saw a Naruto clone walk up with his lunch. "Call it what you want, me, I call it a god send. The Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, the shadow clone. Physical copies with my mind and when released, I learn all they did."
Scotty blinked in surprise. "Lad, you're your own away team."
"Not exactly," the clone said. "While I can take some damage, anything that would pierce my skin or kill me will make me go up in smoke."
"How many can ye make?"
"Most on my planet could make up to twenty for a few minutes. Me, I can make a thousand and last all day."
The clone set the bag on the ground, "Got it boss."
"Alright!" Him and the clone dug out the meal and a black glass bottle. "Perfect."
"What you got there?"
"Saki." He twisted off the bottle and took a sniff. "Whew, thats strong." He took a swig right from the bottle and started coughing. "Yup, real strong." He closed it again and started eating his lunch.
"Ah, not that synthahol stuff."
"Hell no," Naruto growled. "I took a drink of that and said it was bull shit. This is twentieth century saki, japanese rice wine." He offered the bottle to Scotty who took a swill.
"Aye, that's strong... Lad, Picard told me something once. That when he is close to them, he can hear them, can you?"
Naruto looked away and up to the sky. "All the time. Never anything recent, echoes mostly. But they are out there." Sitting down on the grass, he took out a pad of paper, pencil, and started drawing something. It looked like a ship but not one Scotty recognized. "My own personal ship. One day, I'm going to build it and then, I'm going to sail away and never come back. I won't ever stop."
